Well let's try this again........

I'm back, feeling a whole lot better (fingers, toes and everything crossed!) and hoping to stay that way!!

Just felt all out of sorts that's for sure, but onwards and upwards as they say.

Yesterday was 9/11 and was watching a lot of things on tv about it.  Can't believe it's been 25 years already?  I was at work, when my boss's wife called and told us to turn on the tv.  It was horrific just watching what was happening.  I remember it clearly.  

There are certain days in our lives we will never forget.  I remember Elvis dying, I was living at home at Clifford Street (UK).  John Lennon being shot, I was at work in the hotel I was working at.  Princess Diana's funeral, I remember talking to my mam on the phone and us comparing notes and marveling at all the details; we were in Canada, she was in the UK.  The Queen dying, we were on our way to the airport to go to the UK.  The day of her funeral, we were having afternoon tea in the Lake District, with our two kids and my mother.  Even Dolly Parton, will be one I will remember, and many more.

Are there certain things that happened in history you will never forget?

Spoke too soon........

 Not feeling well at all.  It is a sinus/head cold thing I have going on. (((SIGH)))  Will be back later on in the week, hopefully!  😰😩😩

Never had this happen to me before..........

I couldn't thread the needle on my sewing machine.  I struggled for ages.  In the end I replaced the needle and everything went smoothly.  The funny thing though, I could see daylight through the needle "hole," so have no idea whatsoever what was wrong?

Anyhow, I was sewing a zippered pouch to put some charging cables and other electronics that we use when we go away.

I found a couple pieces of "scrap" fabric.  A heavy weight cotton and some quilting backing fabric that was sort of "cushy."  I didn't want to use any batting, I was being lazy!!

I bought a waterproof cell phone holder, and I bought a foldable phone charger.

We have a couple of trips planned over the next couple of months, to Ottawa and Jamaica.  Looking forward to both of them.

Also thanks for the feel better wishes.  Still not 100%, but better than I was...........

Not feeling the best.........

 

Have a super weekend and will be back next week some time.............

Are you one?

 

I am!!

Practical Gill win's out every time!

Over the last couple of days the practical side of Gill (Gillian) has won over the "I don't care/fun side" of Gill!

Let me explain.  We went to look over some new homes; no we are not moving, it was more a research thing, for someone else.  I dragged hubby along with me and went in with "I know these aren't suitable for us" attitude.  How wrong I was there....LOL  I loved the homes, BUT and it's a very big BUT, they are townhomes/terraced homes, so not hugely fond of that aspect, but could live with it. Also, despite you actually owning the home, you don't actually own the land it is on.  We did that in our last house.  Here's the kicker though with this subdivision, unlike with our last house, where the water, all garden maintenance and house insurance and roof replacement (when needed) was covered by the monthly fees, this one NOTHING is covered and you still have to get board approval for any changes made outside.  Also for the lot's we liked (not backing onto another house) you were required to pay between $750 to $850 per month rental fee, for the land.  So practical Gill kicked in and said a firm no to this situation and I am glad about it!

Then yesterday it was a humid dreary day.  Hubby said lets go to the casino.  We can each spend $20 and see how we do.  Have a bit of fun.  So off we trot and I went through my first $20 pretty fast, so ended up putting in another $20 and here is what I won:

That is a 212.5% win on a 66 cent bet.  I did my three back up spins (as per Brian Christopher Slots!) and ended up winning some more.  I cashed out at $160.10, as practical Gill stepped in.  Between us we walked out with I think $135 in profit.  We could have stayed longer, we were there for an hour, but we knew there was a good chance we would end up losing it all..........as the casino always wins!!!

Passed a gas station on the way home and filled up the car with $50 worth of gas from our winnings.

So despite being annoyed that "Practical Gill" always wins, in both these cases it was the right thing to do.  It's been a few months since we have been to the casino, it's not a thing we do very often.  I was looking back to the last time we went to the casino and it was in March and I posted about it here.

Are you a very practical person?

Halloween Cross Stitch.........

In the past 40 years I have been doing cross stitch, I have never done a Halloween Cross Stitch.  Do you remember when I did the Christmas Cross Stitch sew along last year?  You can see the results on this blog post.

Well Durene Jones Cross Stitch is having another sew along which is Halloween themed.  It's not very big only 7 1/2 inches square and only 3 colours.  What's not to like about that.  It is a 4 part weekly pattern release and best of all it's free!!!  You can read more about it here. (It is a Facebook link)

Books I read in August.......

 The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Kim Edwards’s stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964 in Lexington, Kentucky, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter of a century—in which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by the fateful decision made that winter night long ago.

This book took me a while to immerse myself into.  However, I am so glad I kept reading as the more I read it, the better the book got.  Well worth the read.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

I reviewed this book on this post here.

She Didn't See It Coming by Shari Lapena

When a beloved wife and mother disappears, a luxurious condo building transforms into a potential crime scene, and the investigation begins: Can the detectives find her before it's too late?  Bryden and Sam have it all: thriving careers, a smart apartment in a luxury condominium, supportive friends and a cherished daughter. The perfect life for the perfect couple.

Then Sam receives a call at his office. Bryden—working from home that day—has failed to collect their daughter from daycare. Arriving home with their little girl, he finds his wife’s car in the underground garage. Upstairs in their apartment her laptop is open on the table, her cell phone nearby, her keys in their usual place in the hall.  Except Bryden is nowhere to be seen. It’s as if she just walked out.

How can she have disappeared from her own home? And did she even leave the building at all?  With every minute that passes—and as questions swirl around their community—Bryden and Sam’s past seems a little less perfect, their condominium less safe, their friends, neighbours and relatives no longer quite so reliable . . .

This book was quite a page turner, with many twists and turns in it.  I felt another book could be written to finish off the story of what happens next to a couple of characters.  I picked up a damaged copy of this book at a big discount that is why I bought it.  Thoroughly enjoyed it and will have to read more of her books in the future.

The Maze by Nelson DeMille

In his #1 New York Times bestseller Plum Island, Nelson DeMille introduced readers to NYPD Homicide Detective John Corey, who we first met on the back porch of his uncle’s waterfront mansion on Long Island, recovering from wounds incurred in the line of duty.

Six novels later, The Maze finds Corey on the same porch, having survived new law enforcement roles and romantic relationships—wiser and more sarcastic than ever. Corey is restless and looking for action, so when his former lover Detective Beth Penrose appears with a job offer, Corey has to once again make some decisions about his career—and about reuniting with Beth.

Inspired by the real-life Gilgo Beach murders, The Maze takes us on a dangerous hunt for an apparent serial killer who has murdered nine—and maybe more—sex workers and hidden their bodies in the thick undergrowth on a lonely stretch of beach.

As Corey digs deeper into this case, he comes to suspect that the failure of the local police to solve this sensational mystery may not be a result of their incompetence—it may be something else. Something more sinister.

I had a mixed reaction to this book.  On one hand this book was a fast read, as the way it was written it made you read fast, as everything was happening at such a fast pace.  It made you feel exhausted just trying to keep up with it all. Due to that you were kept on your toes the whole time wondering what was going to happen next.

I did find the lead up to the main story took too long in my eyes.  The main character John, his dry sense of humour was a hit with me.   This is the 6th book about John Corey, but works as well as a stand alone book.

When we finally got to the "meat and potatoes" of the story, it wrapped up too fast to my mind.  I enjoyed the book, but I wouldn't run out and read more of this series.

Broken Anchor by Paul Feist

Here is a link to the author.  I bought this book as he is a "local author," so I thought I would support him.  This book was okay.  I feel as though it's more a man's cup of tea than a woman's.  I think it was just more what it was about that would appeal more to a man than a woman.

Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner

A young mother haunted by war, determined to make a fresh start. But sometimes, the sins of the past aren't so easy to escape.

Recent Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi was last seen exiting her place of work three weeks ago. The local police have yet to open a case, while her older, domineering husband seems unconcerned. Sabera's closest friend, however, is convinced Sabera would never willingly leave her three‑year old daughter. At her insistence, missing persons expert Frankie Elkin agrees to take up the search through the broiling streets of Tucson. Just in time for a video of the young mother to surface—showing her walking away from the scene of a brutal double murder.

Frankie quickly realizes there's much more to the Ahmadi family than meets the eye. The father Isaad is a brilliant mathematician, Sabera a gifted linguist, and their little girl Zahra—she has an uncanny ability to remember anything she sees. Which given everything that has happened during the girl's short life, may be a terrible curse. When Isaad also disappears under mysterious circumstances and an attempt is made on Zahra's life, Frankie realizes she must quickly crack the code of this family's horrific past.

Someone is coming for the Ahmadis. And violence is clearly an option. When everything is on the line, how far would you go to protect the ones you love?  Frankie is about to find out.

I have nothing negative to say about this book.  It was so good and I read it in a day, as I couldn't put it down.  The cast of characters made it so interesting, as was the topic of the book.  I need to find more of the "Frankie Elkin's" books; liked her as a leading character.

The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown

While in Paris, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is awakened by a phone call in the dead of the night. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, his body covered in baffling symbols. As Langdon and gifted French cryptologist Sophie Neveu sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci—clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Even more startling, the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion, a secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, and he guarded a breathtaking historical secret. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle—while avoiding the faceless adversary who shadows their every move—the explosive, ancient truth will be lost forever.

I picked this book up in a thrift store while my mother was here for 50 cents I think.  As it's a book I had never read, so thought I would give it a go.  It wasn't the worst book I have ever read, but will say a lot of the "technical" stuff went right over my head.  I did spend most of the book saying to myself, "this can't be right, it's the total opposite of what I'd been brought up on; religion wise."  Not that I can claim to be religious but I do believe in God. 

Anyhow, I can now say I have read the book.  For anyone who has read the book and watched the movie, which one was better?

So all in all another mixed bag of books that I read in August.  Yesteryear is probably one that I remember the most, as I loved the ending.  My least favourite was probably a tie between Broken Anchor and The Da Vinci Code.

Well that crept up on us........

I was in the shower on Sunday morning when it dawned on me that Monday (today) was the last day of August????   Where has the summer gone too?  Now technically for us, Summer can last until mid-October as September can be really nice.

I find that now hubby has retired one day passes into another, as we don't have "work" days and day's of leisure/weekend.  So unless I actually look at the calendar I never know what the date is.  I generally still remember what day it is....so I guess that's helpful....LOL

I had an "experience" the other day at Shopper's Drug Mart that made me truly realize how lucky hubby and I are.  It was "senior's day" at Shopper's where everyone over the age of 55 could get a 20% discount on regular priced items.  I went in to pick up some stuff and cash in some points as it was bonus redemption as well.  In my case I cashed in 50k in points and got $70 worth of products free.

Anyhow, I was cashing out and it was a small counter.  Up marched this guy with a cart and proceeded to plop all his stuff on the counter and walked off.  A woman quickly came to the counter (his wife) and handed the cashier her card.  At this point I hadn't even paid; something she didn't know.  The cashier told her she hadn't finished with me, and of course the lady apologized as she didn't realize what had happened.

I said no worries, but feel free to pay for my order.  We all laughed and she said, "luckily it's pay day for us all and we can afford to pay for all our things."

I had to think for a minute what she was on about and then I realized it was the day seniors (including us) got their pensions paid by the Government.  Shopper's Drug Mart does this promotion every month to coincide with when the Government pays the State pensions; again it hadn't dawned on me why they did it.

It made me realize that we are so lucky to not have to rely on the State pensions to make ends meet.  That must be so frightening to know you can't go out and buy the basic needs until your pension comes in.

I was telling my daughter in law the story and she was telling me she is part of a mum's group on Facebook and some mothers post that they need certain items because their monthly baby/child allowance hasn't come in, or asking others if their baby/child allowance has hit the bank yet as they need it to buy basics.

So feeling very grateful today to be able to pay the bills and have a roof over our head and food on the table............

Happy Sunday...........

 I have a t-shirt with this on the front of it.

I hope your Sunday is more daisies, that oopsies!

Seriously.................

 saw this in Costco on August 25th............

Way, way to early for Christmas stuff 😔

He's finally lost the plot!!!

 

nothing else needs to be said.........what a yahoo!!!🫨  Enough of these shenanigans........you have bigger issues you should be dealing with........

P.S. we have been treated so well by every American when we have visited America, but guys something need's to be done .......seriously!!!  

A you a picky eater...........

 

I had seven points.  Celery, sardines, oysters, snails, blue cheese, raisins and grits.  If they were part of a dish and hidden for example celery in a soup, I would eat it.  However, by themselves, all in my list is a no.  Grits, are tasteless, but I haven't had them but once, so it was maybe how it was prepared.  

I won't go out of my way to eat coconut, but will eat it if it's amongst something.  Same with eggplant and tofu.

How about you?

Such sad news.............

Rest in Peace Dolly...................

 

Soup Day.......

We woke up on Saturday to a very over cast day, with a forecast of rain on and off all weekend.  So to my mind it was a soup day!  The one thing I enjoy about making soup is that it's a great way of using stuff up in your fridge and pantry.

So the first thing I did was gather and chop everything up.  As you can see it's a mix of fresh, canned and packaged items.

I found this package of 5 grain mix, so figured that would add fibre to the soup.

More importantly all the grains were pre cooked, so one step less for me.

Then my mother brought over this box of 4 cup of soup's from the UK this summer.

Cup of Soup is a favourite amongst the British and my mother usually has a cup with a sandwich at lunch time.  My brother swears this is as good as the canned version.  We tried it but found it way too sweet for us.

So my stock for this soup was the package of onion soup mix, and the cup of soup mixed in with boiling water.  Due to the salt content in the soup mixes and the canned tomatoes, I did not have to add more salt.  I also added a no salt spice mix and some some minced garlic to the ingredients.

I softened the fresh veggies in a little olive oil and butter, then added everything else and cooked until it was ready.  I let it simmer for an hour or so and this is what it looked like:

It was good, but was missing something.  I had some at lunch time.  Then at supper time, I decided to add a can of coconut milk, and it was SO GOOD.  That was the missing something.  It reminded me of a beef barley soup without the beef!

Do you like soup?  I like a thicker, creamier soup.  

1980's Bedding Trend on the way back.........

As per this article, bed valances are coming back in trend.  In case you have forgotten what they look like this is an example:

(image credit)

I do remember these and I remember all our beds having them.  As we don't use duvet's on our beds and honestly I think valances are a dust trap, I for one will be passing on this trend.  I also remember have valances on all our windows as well.

Do you have bed valances?  Do you remember them?  Will you be jumping on this trend?

Autumn/Halloween.........

I was in Home Sense the other day and was greeted by all the Autumn and Halloween decorations.  I do enjoy the whole Autumn/Fall decorating theme, though do not do it in our house........but maybe I should?

I of course was drawn to all the glass pumpkins!

Only two more weeks and the kids will be back at school, where has the summer gone too?

Who could resist this..........

Not me, when I was in Home Sense the other day I had to take a look.........

Then of course I had to buy one 😁😉 The paperbacks are $7.99 each which isn't too bad.  They seem to be getting more and more books in Home Sense?

And I said I was going to cut back on reading............

Peaches........

Over the weekend a dear friend dropped off some Ontario Peaches for me.  She got them from the Niagara region.  She goes down there from Brampton each year just to pick up some peaches.  She brought me 7 of them.  I must admit, I am no expert when it comes to peaches.  Do I like them.....yes.  Would I travel over 100 kms just to get some freshly picked....no.

They were as good as they looked, very sweet and tasty.

I had some fresh, chopped up, as eating a peach whole with juice dripping down my face, isn't for me.

I also peeled and chopped one to put in our sugar free jello.  I had mixed feelings about this, and wouldn't put them in jello again, the peach flavour was over powered by the jello.

I had one jello leftover in the fridge with fresh raspberries in it, now they are one of my favourite combinations.

We also have strawberry jello with fresh or frozen sliced strawberries, we all enjoy that.  Orange jello with drained canned mandarins, one small can divided between the four glasses of jello.  Strawberry jello with sliced bananas.  The grandkids love it when I make jello; it's a treat for them as they don't get it at home.

Are you a fan of fresh peaches?  Do you like jello/jelly?

Photos from the lake.......

First let me say I am quite sure there are many "correct terms/names" when it comes to describing things to do with a lake........  You're not going to find them here.........as I haven't a clue when it comes to boats etc!!

We went to Gravenhurst the other week and it's on Lake Muskoka (I think?)  So I took some photos.

A guy on a mobility scooter was fishing on the dock, where I took this photo, so I got talking to him about the lake.  It's around 150 feet at it's deepest.  Here by the dock it's about 6 feet deep, with around 3 feet of weeds.  I could see a lot of "tiddlers"/tiny fish about 3 or 4 inches long but he said there were a number of bigger fish further out.  

He also said he "fell" in the lake on his mobility scooter and people had to dive in to rescue him as he can't swim 😐😕😦😬 I asked him if he was trying to catch his supper, and that's when he said; "he goes down to the lake more for company than anything else, and to talk to people like myself."

There is a Boston Pizza on the lake and we had our lunch on the outside patio overlooking the lake.  It was so nice and peaceful.........

Now my friend on the mobility scooter was telling me these "Yahoo's" drive there speed boots down from their daddies mansions on a Saturday morning to the marina for their morning coffee on a weekend.......

Then they go, speeding back to the mansion's.........

You can take a boat cruise on the steamship, Segwun.  We didn't bother, but it seemed pretty busy.

It is a very pretty area to explore, that's for sure.

Public Service Announcement!

Our clothes dryer has not been working properly for a while now.  The error messages were coming up more frequently, so had to throw in the towel and buy a new one.  We also decided that having one delivered in the summer was easier than waiting until the colder weather appears.  It's more or less the same one as the last one as other than it this one works!! LOL 

One of the biggest issues with dyers, is making sure you clean out the vent both inside the dryer and the vent going to the outside to prevent fires.  We had bought this kit from Amazon that attaches to a power drill and it works a treat.

We cleaned it out before we hooked up the new dryer and this is what came out of the vent.  It was pretty clean, so was happy with that.  Plus it's an easier job to do when it's not freezing cold and covered in snow, so a summer job!!

(image credit)

So clean out your dryer vent before it gets too cold out.

My newest Cross Stitch project.

I have actually have had this kit for a while, but just haven't got around to doing it.  I got it from Bothy Threads and they do ship world wide. It incorporates two things I love.  British Robin's, they are better looking than North American Robins, who I think are tall and skinny and not as red.  Also Wrendale Designs, I just love Wrendale Designs and that whole design aesthetic.

I will say thought I am finding it hard going for some strange reason.  I am thinking the more I get done the easier it will become.  It's a whole lot of colour changes in a small area and a whole lot of red tones.

I am hoping to have this completed by Christmas........I think I will have to stop the reading for a while, to get this done!!

Books I read in June and July.........

 The Flight Portfolio by Julie Orringer

MARSEILLE, 1940. Varian Fry, a Harvard-educated journalist and editor, arrives in France. Recognizing the darkness descending over Europe, he and a group of like-minded New Yorkers formed the Emergency Rescue Committee, helping artists and writers escape from the Nazis and immigrate to the United States. 

Amid the chaos of World War II, and in defiance of restrictive U.S. immigration policies, Fry must procure false passports, secure visas, seek out escape routes through the Pyrenees and by sea, and make impossible decisions about who should be saved, all while under profound pressure—and in a state of irrevocable personal change.

In this dazzling work of historical fiction—one that illuminates previously unexplored elements of Fry’s story, and has, since its publication, brought us new insight into his life.

Super good book and very interesting...............

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.
As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.
A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.
Really good, with a surprising twist at the end.
Sandpiper Island by Donna Kaufmann

Ford Maddox was running from his past when he came back to Blueberry Cove, Maine, where he'd tasted both heartache and comfort. With feisty Delia O'Reilly there to cheer him on, he couldn't have picked a better place to start over--even if he's determined to do it alone in his island tree house, working to save endangered seabirds. . .and himself.  But when he finds Delia fighting to hold on to her local diner, and all that's best about their little seaside town, Ford has to lend a hand. Suddenly two fiercely independent people are building something sweeter than they ever imagined. . .together.

DIY is so much better with two. . .

I did not enjoy this book, it was just an okay read for me.

Blood Lines by Nelson DeMille, Alex Demille

Army Criminal Investigation Agents Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor have been separated for five months following their last assignment, a dangerous mission in Venezuela to locate and detain an infamous Army deserter. Now, in Berlin, they are reunited and tasked with investigating the murder of one of their own: CID Special Agent Harry Vance of the 5th MP Battalion, an accomplished counterterrorism agent who had been stationed in western Germany, and whose body was discovered in a city park in the heart of Berlin’s Arab refugee community.

The authorities suspect this is an act of Islamic terrorism, but Brodie and Taylor soon believe there is more to this case. The reason for Vance’s presence in Berlin is unknown, and as Brodie and Taylor work to discover what the murder victim was doing in the days and weeks preceding his death, they become immersed in the many conflicts and contradictions of modern Germany—the Arab refugee crisis, the dark legacy of the Cold War and the Stasi secret police, and the imminent threats of a rising neo-Nazi movement. At the same time, they are butting heads with the authorities—both German and American—and facing a possible threat from American intelligence agents who fear that Brodie and Taylor might have learned too much about US clandestine operations during their mission in Venezuela.

Ultimately, Brodie and Taylor realize that the murder of Harry Vance was merely the prelude to a much more sinister future event—unless they can unravel the mystery in time to stop it.

This had me on the edge of my seat, especially closer to the end.  Really good book, never read anything by this author before.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

With courage, grace, and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of World War II and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women's war.
The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France—a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

My mother brought three books over by Kristin Hannah with her when she visited.  She left me this one to read and it was so good.  I was in tears in parts of this.  Very moving.

Home Front by Kristin Hannah

Like many couples, Michael and Jolene Zarkades have to face the pressures of everyday life—children, careers, bills, chores—even as their twelve-year marriage is falling apart. Then a deployment sends Jolene deep into harm's way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a solider, she has always understood the true meaning of duty. In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own—for everything that matters to his family.

Another book my mother left me to read.  Again such a lovely sad book, again had me in tears.

Wives Like Us by Plum Sykes

Take a grand English country house, one (heartbroken) American divorcee, three rich wives, two tycoons, a pair of miniature sausage dogs and one (bereaved) butler; put them all into the blender and out comes the impossibly funny romantic comedy Wives Like Us, the new novel from the best-selling author of Bergdorf Blondes and Party Girls Die In Pearls, Plum Sykes.

If you think the English countryside is all green wellies, muddy Land Rovers and grey-haired ladies in tweed, then you’ve never visited ‘The Bottoms.’

Welcome to the rose-strewn county of Oxfordshire, and the tony Cotswold villages of Little Bottom, Middle Bottom, Great Bottom, and Monkton Bottom, recently annexed by a glittering new breed of female in this witty social satire: the Country Princess. 

Following a ghastly row about a missing suite of diamonds, Tata Hawkins has flounced out of Monkton Bottom Manor with her daughter, Minty, and Executive Butler Ian Palmer in tow, decamping to The Old Coach House to teach her husband Bryan a lesson.

But things don’t go to plan: Bryan disappears to Venice with a bikini designer; Selby Fairfax, the glamorous American divorcée who has inherited the beautiful estate next door, is refusing Tata’s overtures at friendship; Tata’s best friends, Sophie Thompson and Fernanda Ovington-Williams, are distracted by their own heartache, and the posh Pennybacker-Hoare sisters are plotting to prevent Tata regaining her crown as Queen of the Bottoms. Worst of all, in a classic case of rich people problems, Ian has nowhere to store his collection of vintage Gucci loafers.

Will Tata ever return to the comforts of the Manor? Will Selby find her Prince Charming? Will the Pennybacker-Hoares prevail? With the help of a pig farmer-ess moonlighting as a Personal Assistant, a male model moonlighting as a stable hand and a London barrister moonlighting as a gentleman farmer, can Ian restore harmony to The Bottoms?

Loved, loved this book.  Made me laugh so much.  Read it super fast.  You can't help but roll your eyes at some of the antics.

Dream Harbor Box Set by Laurie Gilmore

I bought this boxed set during a Prime Amazon day, so got them cheap.  I had been wanting to read these books for a while.  I did enjoy them, but they were pretty easy to predict storylines, nothing taxing on the brain.  

Spy by Ted Bell

When a mysterious explosion destroys his research vessel in the middle of the Amazon, Alex Hawke is captured by Indigenous cannibals. Before he manages to escape, he learns that a fearsome foe is preparing for war—but against whom?
When he regains contact with his American and British intelligence counterparts, Alex’s worst fears are confirmed. In the jungle are highly trained Hezbollah warriors who are planning an unspeakably violent jihad against America. While the United States focuses its efforts on the escalating border disputes with Mexico, Alex vows to put a stop to the deadly plot—no matter the cost.

This is a sitting on the edge of your seat good.  I will say though, I thought the ending was wrapped up too quickly and neatly for me.

The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill

Abducted as an 11-year-old child from her village in West Africa and forced to walk for months to the sea in a coffle—a string of slaves— Aminata Diallo is sent to live as a slave in South Carolina. But years later, she forges her way to freedom, serving the British in the Revolutionary War and registering her name in the historic “Book of Negroes.” This book, an actual document, provides a short but immensely revealing record of freed Loyalist slaves who requested permission to leave the US for resettlement in Nova Scotia, only to find that the haven they sought was steeped in an oppression all of its own.

Aminata’s eventual return to Sierra Leone—passing ships carrying thousands of slaves bound for America—is an engrossing account of an obscure but important chapter in history that saw 1,200 former slaves embark on a harrowing back-to-Africa odyssey. Lawrence Hill is a master at transforming the neglected corners of history into brilliant imaginings, as engaging and revealing as only the best historical fiction can be. A sweeping story that transports the reader from a tribal African village to a plantation in the southern United States, from the teeming Halifax docks to the manor houses of London, The Book of Negroes introduces one of the strongest female characters in recent Canadian fiction, one who cuts a swath through a world hostile to her colour and her sex.

This was so good I could not put it down.  Well worth the read.

So a lot of different books read by me over June and July.  I hope you find some that you may want to read at some point.